- There are several different ways to measure body fat composition including: underwater weighing, skin-fold caliper measurements and bioelectrical impedance or BIA. Underwater weighing is one of the most accurate methods but is also expensive and not accessible to most people. Skin-fold measurements are pretty accurate but the measurements usually have to be taken by another person and accuracy depends on the skill of the person taking the measurements. BIA is the cheapest and most accessible method, but it's not the most accurate. BIA sends a safe, electrical charge from one pole to another and measures the speed at which the signal travels from one pole to another. There are several BIA products on the market including body fat scales and hand-held units, and while they aren't the most accurate, they can give you a basic idea of your body fat composition.
- Body fat composition gives you a better idea of your overall fitness than a simple BMI chart. BMI only measures height-to-weight ratios. Very muscular people tend to weigh more so they can end up with much higher BMI numbers than their less muscular counterparts. Body fat composition tells you exactly what that weight is made of. Body fat composition is also important tool for weight loss. During the process of exercising for weight loss, some people may gain weight (or lose weight really slowly) because they are actually gaining muscle. Taking regular body fat readings is a more accurate indicator of progress than simple scale weight.
-
Healthy body fat measurements are based on age and gender and tend to fall within a specific range. Women tend to have a higher percentage than men, and older people tend to have a higher percentage than younger and there may be minor differences between ethnic groups. In general, the average healthy body fat percentages for adults are as follows:
Women: Age <30 = 14-21%, Age 30-50 = 15-30%, Age 50+ = 16-25%
Men: Agee <30 = 9-15%, Age 30-50 = 11-17%, Age 50+ = 12=19% - Proper diet and regular exercise is essential to maintaining healthy body fat measurements.
- Some body fat is useful and necessary. Fat is broken up into two categories: storage fat and essential fat. Storage fat is primarily stored under the skin and is used as a backup energy supply when enough calories are not available. But storage fat also protects the organs in the chest and abdomen. Essential fat is the amount of fat required for normal body function. For instance, fat plays an important role in nerve conduction. For the average woman, 15% of body weight is storage fat and 12% is essential fat. For men, 12% is storage fat and 3% is essential fat. A body fat percent that's too low can threaten your essential fat stores and is just as healthy as too much fat.
